Sunday diversion: this week in kidney transplant media

been collecting a few of these disparate pieces
Note to self: follow up to see how this story about a high school pitcher about to get a new kidney ends up. Kid has done a lot, 10-hour dialysis sessions and other kidney problems aside. Good luck to him, and props to his donor aunt.

The Sports Guy is a terrific writer, and chronicler of American life and sport. Not to mention, a prolific author and editor of one of the very nice "sports" blogs around, Grantland. Of course you should check that out. But first read this book excerpt about Oscar Robinson. (Read it even if you do not know who the Big O is [was].) I learned a great deal about O and America that I didn’t know or had forgotten.

Simmons weaves Oscar’s personal story into a narrative about measuring how great he really was, by reference to conditions in America and the NBA when he played. Terrific story-telling and social history and statistical analysis. (Talk about a triple double!)

For purposes of this post, here is one thing I am pretty sure I never knew:

Even when he heroically donated a kidney to his ailing daughter in 1997 (saving her life), the moment came and went; you probably didn’t remember until I reminded you.

Such “heroes” come in all shapes, sizes, characters, and motivations. Ain’t life grand?

© Sandy Mattingly 2012